title: PNA: a marker of neoplastic progression and differentiation in the gastro-intestinal tract.
abstract: We examined 35 cases of stomach carcinoma and 40 cases of colonic carcinoma with PNA associated with peroxidase (peanut agglutinin, lectin which binds to the terminal disaccharide galactose beta (1,3)-N-acetil-galacto-samine). In this way evaluation of the functional aspects of the normal-neoplastic sequence was undertaken. This method was carried out for histological and ultrastructural investigations. The results obtained in both cases showed a different reactivity in the evolution of neoplastic disease: in fact, positivity in dysplasia is finely granular intracytoplasmic, whereas in well-differentiated neoplastic transformation such a reactivity is preferentially localized along the cellular membranes, with restoration of gross positivity in the cytoplasm for the poorly-differentiated neoplasm. We therefore believe PNA to be a marker not only of neoplastic progression but of differentiation as well: we also hypothesize it to reveal glycoprotein groups with possible antigenic power, involved in immunologic interactions between tumor and host.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy and Histological Pathology, University of Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grigolato
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benetti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berenzi
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Villanacci
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tardanico
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D037102:Lectins; D019887:Peanut Agglutinin; D011975:Receptors, Mitogen / Q000032:analysis*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D037102:Lectins; D019887:Peanut Agglutinin; D011975:Receptors, Mitogen; C038223:peanut agglutinin receptor